Show for Nov 21, 2010. Linguist Guy Deutscher: Language Ain’t What it Used to Be (And Never Was)
Guy Deutscher discusses the restless, ever-shifting nature of human languages. Have languages gotten more complex or simpler over the centuries? Does improper usage threaten the integrity of language? How do grammatical systems arise? How much of our linguistic mastery is innate, and how much is acquired through experience?
In this conversation, we focused on the arguments Guy presents in his 2005 book The Unfolding of Language. We’re hoping to take up his most recent book Through the Language Glass: Why the World Looks Different In Other Languages in a future show. It’s been getting a lot of notice lately, thanks in part to this New York Times article.
Click the “play” arrow above to listen, or download the MP3 here.
Notes
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